Food 400+: Celebrating Salem Through Food

This June, we were honored to take part in Food 400+, a citywide celebration marking Salem's 400th anniversary through the lens of food.

The festival brought together restaurants, chefs, historians, and local producers to explore the people, ingredients, and traditions that have shaped Salem's culinary story over the past four centuries. It was a reminder that every restaurant in Salem today is part of a much longer history.

For Bernadette, Chef Aaron Chambers created a dish inspired by one of New England's oldest food traditions: salt cod. Our contribution featured salt cod croquettes with sweet corn and basil aioli, a nod to the preserved fish that once connected Salem to ports throughout the Atlantic and played a significant role in the city's maritime economy. Paired with fresh summer corn and basil, the dish reflected both Salem's past and the season we're cooking in today.

One of the highlights of the week was welcoming Chef Scott Conant and his family to Bernadette. It was a pleasure to share our restaurant with one of the country's most recognizable chefs during a week that celebrated the incredible restaurant community here in Salem.

Events like Food 400+ are a reminder of how fortunate we are to cook in a city with such a rich history and such a vibrant dining scene. We're grateful to everyone who visited during the festival and to the organizers, chefs, farmers, fishermen, and fellow restaurants who helped make the celebration possible.

Here's to the next 400 years.